


The Lonely Ogre's Appetite

by Okaysha



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dark Fairy Tale Elements, Gen, Human Hinata Shouyou, Kenma plans to eat Hinata, Ogre Kozume Kenma, On a different note--lots of talk about Marshmallows, References to Killing and Eating Humans, nothing too graphic though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 15:45:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17942561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okaysha/pseuds/Okaysha
Summary: It had been three years ago the last time Kenma had seen a human in his forest.So, when Hinata Shouyou stumbled directly into his cave while looking for a shortcut, Kenma was certain he'd get the chance to eat the human up.





	The Lonely Ogre's Appetite

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to UniCorny_CuteandShorty for her edits!

It had been three years ago the last time Kenma had seen a human. Small and frail, stumbling through the underbrush as they were pursued by wolves. Bruised flesh adding color like a ripening fruit. Cuts and scrapes bled like wine. Meat, tender and lean as a lamb. The young boy had scrambled into his cave as an escape, knowing not what lay inside. When his eyes landed on the figure of a man, he still did not know.

“Help!” he’d bleated through his frantic tears. “Help!”

The figure stood to face his company, body obscured by the shadows, the fire to his back mostly cinders. Was that the silhouette of a friend? The boy did not know.

By the time the boy _knew_ he had entered the den of an ogre, it was too late.

It did not matter that ogre had already eaten—wet animal bones still glistened at his feet—for the ogre had a bottomless appetite...and as he looked at the child his stomach growled greedily for _more._

It had been a while since Kenma had sampled his favorite delicacy, so, on the misty morning when Kenma heard the tell-tale snaps of an inexperienced traveler making their way through the forest, he instinctively held a hand over his stomach—as though to hush it before it could give away his intentions.

Stretching out of his huddle, his bones creaked at the joints after having spent hours stooped low over the fire. Taking a lungful of the damp, spring air, Kenma could feel his hibernating blood beginning the laborious task of waking his body. By the way his breath clung to the air like smoke, he could see it was cold. Otherwise, he was unbothered due to the thickness of his skin.

More snapping. A rustle of shrubbery somewhere close, heading North and, fortunately, taking a path that would go right past the entrance to his cave.

Kenma crept in the shadows of his dwelling, expertly avoiding where the grey morning light would pool. He may have been tough, strong, and fast in comparison to many of the earth’s creatures...but that’s not what made ogre’s successful hunters. Success came best when they caught their prey by surprise.

Lurking near the entrance, covered by the mossy roots of a tree that had been turned over during a typhoon, Kenma carefully took his first peek at a human in a very long time. Golden eyes scanning through the mist, Kenma had no difficulties spotting it. Ten yards away, a human was struggling to walk the uneven terrain. It was small, but from the dimensions of its body, Kenma thought it looked somewhere between a boy and a man. Its red half-cloak snagged on every other branch at it picked its way through the foliage, knees bumping to its chest as it paused before each step to find another safe perch. 

Kenma’s eyes continued to drift to the human's most prominent feature as its hood was snagged off by another branch—a messy nest of orange plumage right atop its head. As Kenma continued to stare, the plumage almost looked alive, bouncing and swaying with the human’s every movement. It was almost as hypnotizing as the flicker of the fire that Kenma kept.  

The human braced a hand against a crooked tree, panting while it trained on a spot a few feet away from where it stood. Kenma watched with interest as the human hunkered down before springing forward—for a moment, Kenma even thought it might sprout wings and fly away.

It did not. Instead, it land in what had _looked_ like solid ground but had turned out to be _mud._ This result was clearly not anticipated if its following _squak_ was a sign of anything.

“Ah _geez,_ ah _geez!”_

As the human lifted a foot to examine its new grimy coating, Kenma felt his stomach rumble in anticipation. This was in his favor—without proper footwear, it would be more difficult to run away.

The human began to look around and Kenma slid further back into his cave, only allowing the smallest sliver of himself to be exposed—just enough to keep an eye on their movements.

The human searched the ground in the immediate area and, unsatisfied, expanded the reach of his calculating gaze.

Kenma was caught off guard as the human craned their neck in his direction. But just as he was ready to retreat completely out of sight, he realized it wasn’t _his_ presence being summed up.

The human’s face split into a grin as it began to hastily tread in Kenma’s direction, the process slowed by the gumminess of its shoes.

This time, Kenma fully retreated. The human had seen his cave and there were only moments to hide. However, after years of living in the same location, Kenma was prepared for such occasions. There was a hollow in the wall near the entrance and Kenma was able to move one of the boulders from the collapse at the back of the cave to use it as cover. It would be impossible to move by any human and made the perfect place to seclude himself.

Squeezed between a rock and a hard place, Kenma could just barely wedge himself far enough to keep his eye on his prey.

Panting huge puffs into the chilly air, the human trudged up the craggy slope that led into Kenma’s cave. As they stopped on the solid gound, they immediately slung off the pack they were wearing, ignoring its fall to instead start peeling off their shoes. Its expression was twisted with disgust or _disappointment?_ as it held the soggy shoes aloft, hanging on the hook of its fingers.

“Geez,” the human repeated again, for the third time, inspiring in Kenma the possibility that this one might be dumb.

As though trying to prove Kenma’s judgments correct, Kenma watched as the human held the shoes out and, closing its eyes, shook them wildly. It only took the first few shakes and the splash of mud across its cheeks before it realized their mistake—but it was too late.

“Noooo!” they wailed, looking down at themselves. Its free hand picked up the front of its shirt to get a better look, eyes bouncing between the shirt and shoes, elbows elevated in the shape of a droopy scarecrow. 

The scene was almost enough to make Kenma crack a smile. He was probably doing a service by removing this simpleton from the gene pool.

The human released the front of its shirt, head hanging low. Dropping to a crouch, it began to wipe at the spot of mud that landed on its pack.

Kenma didn't move, watching for how long the human was going to say in its pout.

It took a while, but its gaze eventually strayed further into the cave. Kenma didn’t miss when its eyes stilled and confusion wrinkled its brow. The human stood quickly afterward, head on a swivel as it called out, “Hello? Anybody there?”

Kenma pressed harder into his hiding place, quickly debating if he should jump out now and grab them or continue to observe quietly. It had likely seen the fire Kenma left burning, and now it was a matter of whether the possibility of others would scare the human away or lure it further in.

The human took a few steps more inside. _“Hello?”_

Kenma didn’t answer, heart beating in anticipation. His muscles twitched—prepared to take action at a moments notice.

The human leaned back, looking between its pack and the fire within. It was probably thinking about how suspicious this all was. Thinking about-

Kenma’s analysis was cut off as the human swiped up the pack, throwing it over its shoulder.

Looked like the decision was made. So, Kenma had to prepare for the chase, then.

Leaning out of his hiding place, Kenma-

“ _Gwah!!!_ ”

He froze at the tiny exclamation.

Heart hammering for him to begin the hunt, Kenma listened in waiting.

The soft-soled footfall of the human still padded around the cave floor. He wasn’t trying to leave quite yet.

Once he dared, Kenma squeezed his way out enough to see that the human was standing at the fireside, hands and wet shoes at its hips as it looked into the flames.

“Guess it’s my lucky day!”

Kenma was astounded. The human wasn’t showing the slightest hesitance, despite the suspicious circumstances. (In the middle of the woods, a lit fire, but no humans around for miles?)

The human hunkered down to arrange its shoes by the fire before taking a seat on the floor.

"Lucky, lucky, lucky. Found a fire, found a fire..." It sang as it plopped the pack onto its lap and began to rifle through the contents.

Kenma’s pupils dilated at the sight of its back...at the sight of its guard lowered. This was the moment he was waiting for. Kenma began to creep out of his hiding place when the human’s head shot up.

Kenma froze again.

The human hopped back to its feet with amazing springiness, suddenly abandoning its things as it raced for the exit. _Was it leaving for good this time?_ There wasn’t much time to consider, because soon enough it reappeared, this time brandishing a stick. _What for?_ There wasn't enough for him to be fueling the fire, and it wasn’t thick enough to be used as a weapon, so…?

The human grabbed the same spot of the ground as before, toes wiggling as it reached in its pack and pulled out what appeared to be a spongy white mushroom. Taking the mushroom, the human used the stick they’d fetched as a skewer, holding the puffy fungus low over the fire.

So, not it was _definitely_ defenseless. As Kenma made up his mind to approach, he was startled as the human screamed as soon as he began to move.

“No!”

Kenma was sure he'd been caught but then noticed how the mushroom the human was holding now burned as bright as a torch.

“Ah-!” The human waved it around in jerky movements before they finally brought it to their mouth and puffed the fire out. Its shoulders slumped. “Aw man…”

The mushroom was completely charred but rather than the expected smoky scent...Kenma’s nose perked up at the smell something sweet.

The human slid the mushroom off the wooden prong with care, popping it in their mouth and replacing the burnt mushroom with a fresh one.

Kenma’s stomach growled once more, however, this time not necessarily prompted by the human. He wanted to taste this....sweet mushroom.

Kenma nibbled his nails, instinctively searching for the food he’d promised himself. If he ate the human, he could search its belongings for any more of the mushrooms it may have packed. Kenma's stomach growled, agreeing with any plan that ended with him being fed.

But...what if that wasn’t enough? What would Kenma do if desired even more of those strangely sweet mushrooms? Where would he even begin to look?

...maybe if he engaged, Kenma could find the location of the mushrooms and _then_ eat the human.

Kenma’s stomach growled louder.

But he couldn’t just approach as he was—he had to be careful of his appearance. Golden eyes, sharp nails, and especially the two stubby horns that parted the hanging of his bangs. He had to disguise himself.

Kenma searched down his body—he didn’t have a lot on his person. The clothes he wore were scavenged off previous human visitors. Both the shirt and short-cropped pants were made from the same rough-texture fabric—durable and modest. There were no pockets except for one sewn to the breast. It was too small to fit much in and Kenma usually ignored it. He didn’t like the feel of shoes, and he moved much better without them anyway, so his feet were bare.

If he was careful, he knew where he could find a scarf—a comfort he allowed himself during the winter months. If he could just… Kenma dared to slip out of his hiding place, using the wall behind him as a guide as he kept an eye on the human's figure.

Kenma stored his only winter wear somewhere around… As he crouched, Kenma dared to look away. He wasn’t able to see the moment the fresh mushroom caught on fire as well.

“Gahh!”

Scarf now in hand, Kenma whipped himself into a fighting stance.

The human was still. Its eyes had been drawn to the sudden movement in the shadows, and it gaped at the unexpected presence of another.

The burnt mushroom was giving off that sweet scent again, it’s texture nearly melting off its wooden skewer.

Kenma’s nose flared. He wanted a taste.

In a flurry, the human was standing too, expression red from reasons outside of the orange glow of the fire.

“Woah!” It hollered, unnecessarily loud. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t know anybody was here! I tried to call in and- Well- Whatever... A-anyway, sorry!”

Kenma remained in stunned silence as the noisy human continued to ramble.

“Am I intruding? Like, is this your spot? I didn’t mean to intrude. I can just leave!” The human was quicker than expected, swiping up its pack and shoes in one hand while keeping the stick with the mushroom aloft in the other. “Okay! That’s it! I’ll get going now! I’ll. get. Going-”

Each word was punctuated with another step toward the entrance. Leaving. It was-

“No.” Speaking for the first time in a very long while, even the smallest syllable irritated Kenma's throat to a cough. He held the scarf to cover his mouth, taking a few gasping breaths before trying again.

The human waited, observing the stranger with concern.

“No,” Kenma croaked. “You can stay. Please.”

The human didn’t move.

“You were trying to dry off, right?”

The next few sounds were none that made sense to Kenma—just a series of stutters until, “Sorry.” Bow. “Thank you.” Bow.

Kenma was uncertain if that was a rejection or an acceptance until the human slumped down the hand holding its pack. It shuffled back to the fire, glancing over at what remained as a shadowy figure just outside the reach of the firelight. Then, after replacing its shoes by the fire and taking a seat, it beginning to twiddle its thumbs in silence.

Kenma was amazed and somewhat sympathetic—this human really seemed to lack basic preservation instincts. It was like it _wanted_ to be eaten. Of course, he couldn’t feel too sad for it—Kenma _was_ planning to eat them afterall.

There was a nervous chuckle. “H-hey... You gonna just stand over there or are you gonna come over here or… Ha ha… You aren’t a _murderer,_ are you?”

Kenma went into action, using the threadbare scarf as a makeshift headband before stepping into the light.

Once he was in sight, the human seemed to visibly relax, even giving a smile. “Oh, thank goodness! I was a little afraid that you’d turn out to be some big scary guy, but you don’t look much older than me.”

Kenma didn’t answer, sitting by the fire directly opposite of the human. He cast his eyes down, unable to do much about their unnatural color so electing to avoid eye contact.

“I gotta say, I was surprised to run into someone else out here!” Silence. “So, do you come here often?”

Suddenly tasked with _conversation_ , Kenma considered taking the easy way out and eating the human right now to be done with it. Were those mushrooms even worth the trouble?

At that moment, the very same mushroom was making a slow migration, the sticky mass sliding down the shaft and leaving a stringy white residue behind. The smell perfumed the air in small traces—maybe not enough for a human, but for Kenma, it was _unmistakable._ So sweet...

Well—if Kenma was going to learn anything more about this new treat, he was going to have to try his best to meet expectation and minimize suspicion.

The human cleared its throat but said nothing.

Kenma copied the noise. Looks like he was...supposed to talk.

“I’m...here. Quite often. Yes.”

The human’s expression slacked with awe, and Kenma tried with difficulty to not stare right at it.

“Do you like to hike or something? Do you live around here?”

Kenma’s toes twitched under the scrutiny. “Yes.” He decided simplicity would get him through this best. And the sooner he could learn about the mushrooms, the sooner he could eat.

“I, too, am surprised to see a human out here.” Kenma’s breath hitched as he realized what he’d said. “I mean-!”

The human tilted its head.

“I mean...mostly I just see _wildlife_.”

The human gave a smile, ruffling the hair at the back of its head. “Yeah, well... _here I am!”_

“Yes.”

The silence stretched for several minutes and, just as Kenma was getting sucked into a daze from staring at the fire, the human spoke again.

“I’m Hinata by the way! O-or Shouyou. You can call me Shouyou if you like.”

Kenma nodded.

The silence didn’t get an opportunity to settle again as the human, _Shouyou,_ began to prattle on some more.

“I actually ended up here because I was kind of in a rush! My mom- Well, she sent me on some errands in the next village over, you know Nekoma?, and I kinda slacked off and ended up leaving kind of late and I was hoping to make up the difference by cutting right through the forest rather than take the path around.” His bare foot nudged his shoes. “I guess I’m still gonna be late anyway, aren’t I?”

Kenma nodded to acknowledge he’d heard.

“You know, I didn’t know what to expect when traveling through. Actually, if my mom found out, she’d probably lose her head with worry. It’s actually supposed to be really dangerous in this forest, and I don’t know anyone who has actually gone in past the line of sight. Although, now that I’m here, I don’t see what the big deal is…”

“You should have listened.”

“Huh?”

Kenma continued to stare at the fire. “You should have listened to them. This forest _is_ dangerous.”

Kenma’s expression was stoic, still entranced with the movement of the fire. The silence returned, much more tensely the second time around. Shouyou joined watching the fire, albeit never quite able to match Kenma’s level of stillness. Adjusting how he sat, fingers flexing, rotating his stiff shoulders… But it was quiet and Kenma was grateful he didn’t have to speak.

After more time had passed, and the gray light was highlighting the ground at different angles, Kenma wondered if it was the appropriate time to ask about the mushrooms.

“Shouyou.”

The redhead straightened to attention. “Y-yes?”

“Where do you find those?” He pointed to the long-forgotten mushroom that seemed to have solidified from its previous more gooey state.

Shouyou looked at it as though he’d forgotten he was even holding it. “This?” he asked, swishing it around for emphasis.

Kenma nodded.

Shouyou brought a hand up to peel it off the stick. The charred parts slid off, leaving a bridge of gooey strings between the two parts. “I got them from home.”

He shook his hand over the fire, trying to unstick the charred skin from his messy fingertips. It took some work, but after a few flicks, it released its grip and fell to the flames. Shouyou looked at the remainder of the white gob still untouched. He tipped the stick in the fire headfirst, apparently finished with his attempt at cleanup.

Kenma stared at where the mushroom was beginning to burn away, regretful that he couldn’t get a taste.

“Do you have any more?”

“More?”

Shouyou stuck a hand in his pack, stirring around the insides until he pulled another out. Kenma looked at it with longing.

“Do...you _want_ one?”

“Yes.” He wouldn’t allow the human the opportunity to take it back. Kenma crawled on his hands and knees until he was at Shouyou’s side and held a hand out.

The mushroom was placed delicately on his palm and Kenma immediately brought the unfamiliar item to his nose, taking a whiff of the light and sweet scent. He still avoided eye contact as he asked, “Does it make you sick to eat raw?”

“What?”

“Is that why you cook it?”

“N-no… You don’t have to cook them or any-”

Kenma put it in his mouth, biting the surprisingly giving flesh with his sharp teeth. So sweet. Sugary. And light. Chewy. So... _satisfying._ His intuition had been right—and Kenma wanted more.

“These grow where you come from?”

Shouyou blinked, leaning back as if to get a better look at a puzzle. “Grow? We don’t _grow_ marshmallows. My mom buys them! A-actually, I’m not really supposed to have even taken them, but I thought they’d make a good travel snack. You’ve...never had one before?”

“No.”

How disappointing. After all this playing pretend, Kenma had hoped he could find some of these on his own.

There was no reason to delay any longer then. There were no hidden marshmallow fields to find. It was time to eat—

“Do you want another?” Shouyou asked, face in his pack as he dug around. “I’m already in trouble for taking them, so we might as well enjoy them.”

Kenma pulled the reins on his roiling blood as he was preparing his attack. His hand, claws posed to slash, relaxed out of sight. Maybe he could wait a little longer.

Kenma outstretched his hand, palm up. He would eat his fill of these marshmallows and _then_ eat his fill of the human. There was always enough room for more.

“Ah- but wait!” Shouyou said, holding up a hand before hopping to his feet. “They’re good by themselves, but you really should try them all cooked. They’re way better!”

Shouyou cautiously picked his way to the front of the cave, avoiding any rocks that might jab into his soles. Once he was at the junction where rock met earth, Shouyou tested the spongy ground with a foot before finally taking a few steps out.

Kenma could still hear the quiet hiss of his “ _Cold, cold!”_ as the water squished out from the ground. Shouyou’s hands moved asynchronous, grabbing at the air in different directions for balance as he watched his feet. Finally, something stopped him, and Shouyou reached up to a nearby tree. One of the lower branches hung in his face and, grabbing it, Shouyou began to twist and pull and off it came.

The human then turned back around, walking the same path all the way back to his seat next to Kenma. Shouyou held the stick up, tearing away the leaves and the bark to better expose the tip.

“Here!” he presented it to Kenma who took it with a little knowledge of what he was expected to do.

Shouyou supplied another marshmallow, even skewering it on the tip for Kenma before he let him go.

Kenma stared at the marshmallow a bit, a bit miffed by the extra step Shouyou was asking him to go through. Still, if only to keep the human quiet, Kenma followed what he’d seen earlier and dipped the marshmallow directly into the flames.

“No!" Shouyou yelped, arms flailing. "W-what are you doing!?”

Kenma raised the flaming marshmallow up to his face. “I’m doing what _you_ did.”

“N-no! It’s not supposed to be like that!”

Kenma tensed as Shouyou grabbed the wrist that held the marshmallow, maneuvering it until it was burning in front of his round face.

With a puff, the fire was gone and all that was left were the charred and gooey remains.

“I’m just an idiot," Shouyou said, factually. "You’re supposed to roast them. Slowly. Till they’re golden brown!”

The marshmallow was dripping dangerously, and Kenma pulled his captured hand away so he could angle the marshmallow above his mouth before it slid onto the floor.

Pressing his open mouth to take a bite, Kenma was amazed again. The texture, still sticky, but also incredibly creamy. It filled his mouth with a foaming sweetness and cozy warmth. Kenma couldn’t get enough, using his fingers and teeth to scrape off every morsel.

“Good, right?” Shouyou asked.

Kenma only hummed in approval, completely dedicated to using his mouth to polish off the sugary treat.

Shouyou watched the stranger as he consumed his food like someone who rarely got to eat. Maybe he was homeless. Hinata looked around. The signs were scarce, but it did look like someone could be living here. And there weren’t any bags, outside of his own, to show this was a temporary stop.

“You...want another?”

Kenma nodded eagerly and Shouyou skewered one more. He really _really_ was going to get in trouble with his mother if he finished their marshmallows off, but Shouyou couldn’t bring himself to stop from offering another and _another_ until they were gone. It just—it really seemed to make this guy happy. He acted like they were the tastiest things in the world.

Shouyou thought, like he’d pointed out earlier, they couldn’t have been much older than himself... So, how’d he end up out here? How'd he even survive the winter? Shouyou couldn’t see anything except the fire as a source of warmth. No blankets, no jackets, not even a pair of shoes...

“Sorry if this is kind of late to ask,” Shouyou said, handing over another marshmallow. “But...can I ask your name?”

Kenma stopped his binge to look at Shouyou from the corner of his eye. When was the last time he had a use for his name? The memory was distant, but… “Kenma.”

Even in his own mouth, it felt foreign. He spackled over the feeling with another bite of marshmallow, licking his lips at the taste it left behind.

“Kenma,” Shouyou repeated.

Then, it sounded even stranger. To be addressed by name after years of solitude.

Shouyou slapped a hand down on his pack. “Well, Kenma! It looks like we finished those up pretty fast, didn’t we?”

Kenma’s heart skipped. If he’d known it was his last, he would have savored it.

Shouyou noticed the look on Kenma's face and flung his hands up to try and stop him before he was too disappointed. “But!”

Kenma’s brow wrinkled in curiosity.

“ _But…_ ” Hinata continued. “I can bring you more! W-well, not marshmallows probably, but my mom’s a really great cook! I could stop by again with something. We could eat together again. I-if you’d like, that is.”

Kenma rolled his sticky lips, baffled by the proposition. Of course he wasn’t gonna let the human _go._ Shouyou had even _said_ there were no marshmallows left. That was it. That's all Kenma was interested in. Why would he give up the guarantee of a human _right now_ for the slim possibility that he may return at a later date?

 _Humans_ are the food.

Then again… There wasn’t much likelihood that Kenma would ever get an opportunity like this again. Human foods were usually beyond his reach and he had no way of knowing what he was missing. Even if he tried, if he was ever spotted in one of the villages, the humans would definitely band together to kill him.

But _this_ human- This dumb and ignorant human was offering to bring those usually out of reach delicacies back for Kenma to eat.

It could be a trick but, but based on Shouyou’s poorly made judgments so far, Kenma doubted the human was anything but sincere.

Kenma felt over his stomach through his clothes. Of course, he had room for more but...he _did_ feel satisfied. For now. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he let the human go.

Kenma had been feed, and there was even the possibility that this sweet meal would return again someday.

“Okay.”

Shouyou looked relieved. “Okay? So, I can come back?”

“You are always welcome back.”

Shouyou leaned out of his sitting position to reach his shoes. Pulling them into his lap, they were dry enough that he could scrape off the muck that was caked to them.

After they were clean enough, Shouyou stood to toe his shoes on.

“Well, thank you for your company, Kenma! I’m glad I ran into you instead of a _monster_ or something!” Shouyou chuckled, throwing his hood up. “And I’ll try to come back soon with something you’ll like! I promise!”

Kenma moved to the edge of the cave, watching the human’s entire departure until even the bright red of his half-cloak was no longer visible amongst the slivers of space between trees. It was the first time a human was able to stumble out of his domain, and they weren't even running for their life but instead left as blissfully (or clumsily) as they'd come.

Kenma went back to the fire to stare into its golden light. His stomach growled in anticipation of Shouyou's return.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> I was considering writing more chapters after this, but I don't know if I'll ever get the motivation. It was fun to write while I did though!  
> Leave a kudos or leave a comment or leave both—you're all very kind!


End file.
